De-icing
The process of removing existing ice, snow, or frost from an aircraft's surfaces before departure to restore aerodynamic performance.
Full Definition
De-icing is the active removal of contamination — snow, ice, slush, or frost — from critical aircraft surfaces such as wings, tail, and control surfaces, using heated de-icing fluid (typically a glycol-water mixture, classified as Type I, II, III, or IV fluid). It is a pre-departure safety procedure and is distinct from anti-icing, which is the application of a protective fluid to prevent the re-accumulation of ice after de-icing. Editors must hyphenate 'de-icing' consistently and not confuse it with 'anti-icing.' Both terms may appear in the same procedure, and their operational distinction is safety-critical.
Usage
Usage note: Always hyphenate: 'de-icing' (not 'deicing'). The operational distinction between de-icing (removal) and anti-icing (prevention) is safety-critical; do not use the terms interchangeably. De-icing fluids are classified as Type I, II, III, or IV — preserve these designations exactly in technical documents.
In Context
- "Aircraft must complete de-icing within the applicable holdover time before commencing take-off." — Winter Operations Procedure
- "The document incorrectly describes the glycol application as 'de-icing' when the process described is anti-icing." — Editorial Review Note